Anti didn't expect the bar to be so busy. It was fairly packed but not too much.
'I hope they'll still make a burger and fries for me. It's getting late so they might not have that stuff available anymore tonight'
If that was so, he had walked all the way there for nothing which would have made him even more sad.
Walking inside, though, he saw his favorite bartender was working so he GUESSED it was worth it. Anti grinned as he came up to the bar and up on the stool between some others. Luckily, though, the man on his left got up and walked away so he had more room.
The old, scruffy bartender obviously saw him . . . but pretended he didn't.
Anti pouted and leaned his chin on the counter in wait.
The man on his right grumbled something but Anti wasn't paying attention. He glanced slightly around the bar seeing the dance area was banging but he wasn't in the mood to dance. People were making out with each other and grinding, laughing and eating food and drinking. It was a happy vibe but seeing so many people with their friends, family or lovers just reminded Anti of how lonely he was. Of how much he's failed in trying to free his brothers. No matter how much he SEEMED to be on the right path, something else happened to fuck everything up. He was running out of time.
Anti wasn't exactly hopeful. He only had Jackie and Marvin on his side. It wasn't enough for him. And how long would it be until Sean found out?
"Same order as usual I presume?"
Anti perked up, seeing his favorite bartender, "yeah!"
"We're out of burgers"
Anti pouted again, making a loud thud with his chin as it hit the counter again.
"Hey now! Don't be such a lump!" the man chuckled lightly, "How about some WINGS and fries, instead? It's on the house!"
Anti snorted but gave a small smile, "I CAN pay for it, you know. I'm not THAT broke, Duke"
Duke snorted in return, "Yeah right. What do you even do? You really have a job, little deadbeat?"
"Yeah! Mostly some online . . . . stuff" Anti scratched at his light beard. It wasn't much but he managed to live off of doing small online jobs here and there.
"Sure" Duke went to send off his order, "Don't worry about it. I got this one, kid"
Anti didn't argue. Duke was always his favorite for a reason.
While the food was getting started, Duke waited for his OTHER order, "Now what's your poison for tonight?"
"I don't know. I think the food might have been poison enough"
"Oh quit your yapping!" Duke slammed a shot glass in front of him, "Whiskey, Rum? Vodka?"
Anti wrinkled his nose at the other options, "Whiskey. The sweet kind!"
Duke rolled his eyes, "'The sweet kind', he says" but nonetheless, he poured Anti some Honey Whiskey in the shot glass, sliding it over to him.
While waiting for his dinner, Anti tossed the shot back, savoring the sweet flavor. It hit him in the throat like a punch but it went down smooth and the carbonation tickled the inside of his nose. He could already feel the effects seeping into him, "Another, please?"
Duke didn't say anything. He just poured, knowing he only came in here for one reason anyway. To be somber and depressed and drown his sorrow with food and whiskey. Almost similar to another person that looked eerily like him.
"You gonna be okay getting home, kid?" he asked Anti, "I can call you a cab for later if you'd like?"
Anti shook his head, "Nah, it's fine. I'll be walking home. I live just a couple blocks down that way" he pointed.
Duke nodded, feeling a bit better about pouring him drinks and motioned to the man on Anti's right, "And you? What'll you have? Same, still?"
The man had a hoodie and cap on his head. It was hard to see his face but Anti wasn't snoopy and didn't bother to even look at the man.
"Same" the voice was cracked and came out in a drawl. He must have been there for a while now.
Duke poured this other man a shot of the same whiskey as Anti's and he tossed it back just as quickly if not a little messier.
Anti sighed heavily, thinking about everything. He didn't actually think he'd be able to turn Henrik and Jameson. Least of all Chase. Sean had FORCED Anti to almost kill all of them. He made him choke Henrik. The first time he met Jameson, really, Sean made Anti cut his throat for a video. Granted, it was a shallow cut but Anti didn't think Sean realized the pain he's put them all through.
At least Anti HOPED Sean didn't realize that.
He had hurt Chase the most and the father didn't even realize who had pulled the strings all this time. Sean had created Stacey and the kids just as Mark had created Celine. A side-character.
Only to be thrown aside like nothing.
It broke Chase and for some reason, he thought Anti had everything to do with it.
Sean made Stacey and the kids disappear because it didn't benefit the story he wanted. So in turn, it made Chase think Stacey divorced him and left with the kids. Only to think later that Anti killed them afterwards.
It was all a lie, of course. Fabricated. Anti was forced to possess Chase . . ..
That's where Anti got the idea to possess Henrik and Jameson to try and get through to them after he had broken free of Sean. Only to discover it had done more harm than good.
No. . . . they'd never believe him. Jackie and Marvin only believe him because he hadn't possessed them. Invaded their minds.
That was it.
Anti downed shot after shot until half the bottle was gone. The man on his right had his own bottle he was working down, too, it seemed.
Anti wondered what HIS sorrows were. . . . .. until he saw his dinner coming, that is and his thoughts went elsewhere.
Chase ordered the same whiskey as the man on his left.
'Love Honey Whiskey. Never find it elsewhere' his thoughts were jumbled by now. He had been there way longer than the man next to him.
'Be better if I were alone . . . Them wings smell good . . .. . I better not. Sean will wonder why his money's gone. But also . . . . what the hell'
"Barkeep" he mumbled.
The man turned to him slightly, "Yeah?"
Chase nodded to the wings and fries the other man had next to him, "Can I get that, too? Smells good"
"Sure thing, sir" Duke wrote down the order and went to take it to the kitchen.
The guy beside Chase was stuffing his face, "It IS good . . . . wings not too spicy and . . salty fries"
"Hm" Chase responded, downing another shot, "You seem . . chummy with barkeep"
The guy shrugged. Chase could see it in the corner of his eye but he hadn't really turned fully to look at him yet.
"I come here sometimes . . Duke's my favorite"
"hm"
For a while after that, Chase minded himself, lost in his own world.
'Why am I even alive?' he thought to himself, 'There isn't anything for me here anymore. In this world. Not even in Sean's head'
He hated Anti for it.
Chase grit his teeth, shaking just barely, 'Fucking glitch bitch. . . . . Why the fuck hasn't he come after us more seriously yet? Like before? Everything's been weird back home, too'
No one talked to him anymore, really. Jackie and him used to be fairly close but he felt they were drifting apart more and more every day.
'Maybe it's all my fault. . . . Was I too hard on him?' he knew he was.
He took another shot.
'And lately, Sean's been consumed with finding Anti. Why, I actually don't know. Maybe if we just moved somewhere else and left him alone, he'd do the same . . . . A man can dream'
Chase remembered his anger but honestly, he was almost tired of being angry.
Almost.
There was never any evidence that Anti had killed Stacey and the kids.
'Maybe they really just left me . . .. just like everyone else in my life'
Suddenly his thoughts were stopped by his food appearing in front of him.
He took a few bites and he had to say. . . he agreed with the man next to him. This food was banging.
Marvin sighed heavily. It had been great pranking Sean before but he knew Jackie was right.
They had to think of how to turn Henrik and Jameson with them.
'It sounds so horrible. Turning them. It's good, though. How do I convince either of them, though?'
He had a feeling Jameson would be easy enough so he stalled for him and thought more about Henrik.
'He's always cooped up in the basement dissecting something or reading medical journals. Does he FEEL cooped up here?'
He had to imagine he did. Henrik was a jittery man especially with his coffee and Sean stopped allowing him out of his head ever since Anti's possession incident.
The other day at the park with Jackie, Sean and Chase was an exception. A mistake Sean would never make again after running into Anti.
It still boiled Marvin's blood.
'Why did Sean control Anti like that? Surely he wouldn't have actually put them in danger? Doesn't he know what Anti's power is capable of?'
Even if Anti himself didn't, Marvin did. Anti just didn't want to use it. Physically, Anti couldn't hold a candle next to Jackie. Metaphysically, however, he was one of the strongest egos out there besides Darkiplier. Marvin shuddered at the thought, knowing how scary Dark was.
'I know Sean's been depressed and uptight lately but that didn't give him the excuse to make Anti attack us like that. I can only imagine the toll it took on Anti, himself'
No matter how desperate Marvin was to be free, he didn't want anyone to get hurt in the process.
'I can only hope Sean doesn't actually realize what he's doing. Does he KNOW that Anti's actually the good guy?'
Suddenly there was a knock on Marvin's door.
The magician snapped out of it and hollered, "Come on in!"
As if fate was smiling down on him, Henrik walked in. And he didn't exactly look happy.
'Not that that's really a good thing'
"Well hello there, Hen, what can I do for you today?" the magician grinned at him like a Cheshire cat.
Henrik nodded to him, "I vas wondering something. It keeps bothering me. I know it's late but I need to ask some things"
Marvin nodded, "Yeah sure. Come on in and have a seat, Schneep"
The doctor looked around Marvin's room curiously. He hadn't been in there often before. Some of Marvin's jars and vials looked like his own. He remained standing but came up to Marvin who was sitting on his bed cross-legged and comfy.
"I presume you saw vhat happened zhat day at zhe park? Vhen Sean let me out to help Jackie?"
Marvin only nodded, not wanting to give away anything just in case this wasn't going where he thought or hoped.
But Henrik sighed, looking rather tired, "Something wasn't right zhat day. Vith Anti when he came. It was odd"
"Odd?" Marvin chose his words carefully, "How so?"
The German doctor version of Sean shrugged his shoulders, "Zhat is vhat I can't figure out. He was . . .. so unlike himself. So different. Still scary as always but he also . .. looked to be struggling? I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining it. But he also didn't attack. He ran. He's been doing zhat a lot lately instead of hurting or fighting us"
"I see" Marvin nodded, "Hen . . . . . How'd it feel that day to be let out?"
The doctor was surprised by this question and blinked rapidly, "I . . .I guess it was very nice. Besides Anti showing up, zhat is"
Marvin nodded, "Don't you ever . . . want to do it more? Go out when you want? Like Chase gets to?"
"Well of course! You think I choose to be locked up in that stuffy room practicing something I'll never get to do on REAL people? Tis my dream but I cannot even be indulged. James and I are zhe two unlucky ones of zhe bunch . . . always locked up in fear of zhe glitch"
Marvin swallowed. He was about to say something he might regret.
But he was prepared for the consequences.
Back at the bar, Chase and Anti were still munching on their food and drinking. Both equally as depressed as the other and they could feel it on each other.
Anti was on his second helping of wings and fries when Chase poked him suddenly.
"What's your deal? Why you here? Wallowing in self-pity, too?"
Anti giggled a little but his voice held different emotions in it, "I want to save my brothers but my evil dad won't let me. . . Basically. What's up with you?"
Chase snorted, "Wife and kids are gone and some guy has been after me and my brothers to try and kill us for years now"
Anti stopped eating. Why did that story sound so familiar?
He FINALLY turned to look at the guy next to him. Why hadn't he done that from the very beginning? He had a bad habit of not looking at strangers face to face.
Chase didn't even realize at first until the guy nearly choked on his wing.
"CHASE?"
Chase looked over at the guy, having the same problem as Anti at not looking at strangers.
He just . . .. stared at Anti, though. He put it together pretty quickly.
But something was off.
Chase suddenly snorted and giggled, "Hehehehehe! How many shots I have? I'm seeing shit"
Anti gulped, "Maybe I'm seeing shit, too"
Chase snarled but laughed again, "Whatever . . . . too drunk for this bullshit. You gonna kill me? Be a great time to fer ya"
Anti grumbled, feeling a little brave, "You're dumb"
"What?!"
Duke didn't know what he was witnessing but he chose to stay out of it unless it came to physical violence.
Anti whined, "Why would I kill you? I . . I didn't the day at the store! Or at the park! I don't wanna kill anyone!"
"Yeah right" Chase huffed, downing another shot, "Liar. . . just too wasted like me to even really move, huh?"
"We'd both fall over and pass out. I don't like lying!" Anti suddenly dared to poke Chase.
"Hey"
Chase cleared his throat, almost forgetting who he was talking to, "Yeah?"
"Sean's . . Sean's keeping secrets from ya! Ya wanna know what?"
"Secrets?" Chase was drunk, yes. But he was also very curious. He wasn't exactly worried if Anti didn't hurt him. If his was so, he'd remember everything the next day. He never forgot anything when drunk. Which was a miracle, really.
"Sean made your wife and kids disappear! Poof!"
Chase suddenly lunged at him, grabbed his shirt and getting ready to punch him in the face.
But something was odd.
Chase swayed a little and sat back again in his chair, "Ffffffffuck you . . . .liar"
The father suddenly snorted and chuckled, "Good one, though. . . . funny. Sean is a good guy. Wouldn't do anything YOU would do"
Anti shrugged, "I knew you wouldn't believe me anyway. . . . . You're Sean's bitch! Like a dog! Woof!"
"Fuck off. I'll kill you"
"It's true!" Anti growled, "You're so fooking blind. Everything he's done. Made me do . . . . Jackie and Marv believe me"
"Ha. Good one. You got jokes"
Duke was considering getting security to split them up but honestly, he was too curious for his own good and poured them each other drink.
Anti whined and leaned his head on Chase's shoulder, making the other tense. But surprisingly enough, Chase didn't shove him away.
Anti sniffled on him, "Don't you wanna be free? I could help ya. Like I'm gonna help the others, too. Sean don't know it yet, though"
". . . .. what?"
And suddenly just like he hadn't even been there at all, he was gone.
Chase felt the weight leave his shoulder and looked around. He looked around even more frantically when he realized Anti was just COMPLETELY gone.
But the booze had numbed him so well, he didn't care as much as he thought he would.
Chase stared at Anti's left over whiskey on the counter. Duke had his back turned so he lunged for it, downing it quickly.
A few minutes later, he didn't give a shit who he had been talking to.
Meanwhile . . . .
Jackie had been trying to call Anti through the walkie talkie but when he didn't get a response after five tries, he had gotten worried.
Usually Anti answered back after the first call. Something was wrong.
He had drank one of Marvin's potions he had snuck away and left, not caring if he was being dramatic.
The first place he checked was Anti's apartment only to discover no one was there.
It was time to resort to drastic measures.
He took out his phone and used his tracker to pinpoint where the other walkie talkie was.
'That can't be right . . . the bar?' Jackie didn't realize how much was weighing on Anti lately. But surely he wouldn't just get drunk out in the open?
Jackie also knew Chase hadn't been in Sean's head or his house all day. He could be anywhere but a bar was a decent guess.
"Fuck!" Jackie took off quickly towards the bar Anti was in. It didn't take him long to get there, thankfully and he walked inside hurriedly.
He was also thankful he wasn't wearing his uniform. He had gotten quite comfy in the casual clothes lately.
Then he saw it.
Anti was leaning his head on some guy's shoulder. His protective instincts kicked in suddenly only o immediately realize WHO he was laying on!
"Oh my fucking god, you fucking moron" he felt like HE'D pass out!
In his panic attack, Jackie raced over and snatched Anti away from Chase and out of the bar so quick, no one knew what happened.
Anti whined in his grasp, "Hey what the fook is- . . . Jackie? Hi!" he turned cheerful and grinned up at him.
Jackie put him down only to half to steady him on his feet, "Are you crazy!? How much have you had to drink!?"
Anti lifted his hands and looked at his fingers before putting them all up, "This many . . . . I think" he swayed and almost fell over but Jackie caught him again.
"You really are something, you know it? Chase could have killed you, Anti!"
"Good!"
That was something Jackie wasn't prepared to hear.
"Just . . . ." he couldn't think of a rebuttal that could do anything at the moment. Not while he was drunk, "Let's get you home, yeah?"
Anti didn't argue with that, letting Jackie drag him home and into bed.
But what Anti said still haunted the hero. Did Anti . . .. wish he was dead? Was he THAT upset and sad that he'd want something like that?
Jackie had never really thought about it. He knew it was Anti's life mission to free them. He just never realized the kind of heavy toll it put on him.
'Maybe I can come back in the morning and talk to him when he wakes up . . . I don't want him to think he's failing. He's doing great. These things just take time is all . . . . maybe soon we can all be together'
He thought of Chase and seeing him at the bar with Anti. He never would have thought he'd see the day Chase would even let Anti TOUCH him.
'Maybe even Chase will come around, too'
Not me drinking some peach whiskey to get into the character of things :D
Don't drink, kids! I only had one of those tiny 1.5 oz bottles, actually :P